Trestle Valley Marathon - Race Reviews

This was a challenging marathon due to the wind and hilly course. I knew this and trained accordingly. I liked how small it was. Everything about this marathon was great: the packet pick-up, spaghetti dinner, convenient parking, course, post-race pizza, and awards ceremony. The race was well organized. Volunteers and spectators were enthusiastic! I did not experience any confusion with the turn off for the full and half. I'm originally from Minot, and I'm very proud of the quality marathon they put together! Thanks, Minot, volunteers and ING!

Remember, this is North Dakota - 100 miles from Canada - so do not expect warm weather in April. The race for '09 was cold and windy, which is normal they say. Mundane, flat course, except for one big hill at the trestle (thus the name "Trestle Valley"); however, I heard that the 2010 race will have a different route, sans the trestle. Only complaint: There were two places where the course branched for halfers, and no one was directing traffic, so I had to guess which way was for the full. Minot has few flights, which necessitated a two-night stay if flying in/out. Great volunteers, great aid stations, friendly race staff, nice awards. Overall a great race, especially for 50-staters. Do not expect a BQ or a PR; however, the small field (50 or so marathoners, and 250 in the half and relay) made for a good chance for an age group award.

This was my first marathon, and going in I knew that this was not an urban friendly race. I also knew that the weather for ND at this time of year can be difficult to run in. Even so, the course was a challenge and the organization was great. The spectators that were there are mainly around water stations, but no biggie. The only downside was the lack of bag check-in; good thing I had others there for me.

Very friendly people in North Dakota and a well organized event. Can say in all honesty that this was the windiest and most technically challenging marathon I've run (I've completed 12 to date). Who'd a thought there would be a 1 -mile long hill to climb (at mile 22!) in ND... :-). This isn't a PR kinda race but it's well worth the trip if you either live close by, are looking for a smaller, friendly race and/or are completing 50 States and 10 Canadian provinces (as I'm doing). Had a great experience overall in friendly Minot, ND.

I just completed my third running of this race. The first 2 (2004 and 2005) were cold and windy. This year I figured out that it's not the cold that bothers me. With the course being mostly flat and nothing to block the wind, it's a real irritation for me to have to spend 13 miles running into a 25+ mph wind. I also don't care for the 10 miles of gravel road that you have to run on. There's also nothing to look at for all but the couple of miles that your in the valley. If it weren't for the wind and gravel, I'd give this run a thumbs up. The people were great and the town is nice, except for the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere.

This was, as they said, very difficult. Not so much the hill as the constant headwind. Everyone was helpful, and friendly. I won a door prize and they offered to mail it to me. Would highly recommend this race for someone interested in a well-organized, friendly, small marathon.

The weather this year was cool and foggy... foggy enough that we couldn't see the two hills on the way out. The race directors and volunteers made the runners feel welcome from the time they picked up their race packets on Friday until they left the post-race awards ceremony. The pasta party for $5 should not be skipped. The food was excellent and plentiful. They offered an early start with a lead vehicle and traveling aid station to the runners who needed a little extra time. The aid stations were located every two miles until mile 20 and each mile until the finish. The finish line spectators and volunteers enthusiastically welcomed all of the runners back. The custom clay medals were well done and unique. The awards ceremony took place during the post-race lunch of sandwiches and chips. The course is very runnable with only a couple of hills... Road Kill Hill will get your attention. Overall, a pleasant experience that should not be missed.

A great, small race made even better with a big sponsor, ING. Cheap, easy access, affordable hotels a block away from the start. Even with small numbers, people in town actually know about the race. Twice the crowd size with the new sponsor. It's still a tough course, but no wind this year - just heavy fog, so you could only hear the trains on the trestle.

I enjoyed this race. The weather was a little rough this year with the high reaching 35 degrees. At times the winds blew light snow at 25 mph! The organization and support on the course was the best I’ve ever experienced. The volunteers were enthusiastic and full of cheer! At many stops, they kept the water inside their cars and vans to keep it from freezing. The Minot YMCA was open early to help us stay warm and the gym was used afterwards for the awards ceremony. The post-race pizza party was a nice treat. The course has two significant hills. Each is positioned in the middle so it doesn’t zap all your energy. The rest of the course is mostly flat. If the weather was nice, you could have a fast run. After I complete my 50 States, I will be back.

In Minot you will usually be facing a brisk wind and the two hills (climbing out of Trestle Valley) are very steep. Once finished, however, it's very rewarding.

The start temp was in the low 40's. The wind was in your face for most of the race. Wind was always at least 25 mph. Some said wind was possibly gusting into the 40mph range. Went out slow for the first 3 miles which was a loop around the southwest part of town. The field of runners was closely packed early on and this was an opportunity to draft. The only fans on the course are at the start at the YMCA; you pass them just before the 3-mile mark and they were very vocal and supportive. Once you leave the YMCA, it’s off to several miles of prairie running. The field also thinned out once you left the YMCA for the prairie. Heading in the valley we did get the wind at are back. The descent into the valley was quick with the steep descent and wind at your back. As I began my climb out of the valley the train went by on the trestle bridge. As you are coming out of the valley the dirt section begins around 9.5 mile mark. Shortly after hitting the dirt, you hit the second hilliest section on the course. I ran this entire section into the wind. Around hitting mile 12 or so you do a loop until you hit 18. The loop course is a lot of prairie. It is mostly flat but there were some small rolling hills on this portion. There was also still un-melted snow on the ground in a few places on this portion. On the loop the wind continued to be a factor. Towards the end of the loop we did get the wind at our back again. Descent returning to trestle valley: as you are descending into the valley you get a glimpse of the worse hill on the course. The wind was in your face going up the hill. I alternated between walking and jogging up the hill. You really could not run very fast up that hill with the wind pounding at you. I used this as an opportunity to recharge with some gel and fluid. Once you get to the top of the hill you still have the strong headwind to deal with. The best part of this course was the last 3 miles. Strong wind at your back for the last 3 miles back to the YMCA. The field was small - less than 100 people. What I saw was that as long as you kept running into the wind, it was really hard to pass any one or be passed. This is not a PR course. I was amazed that the winner broke 3 hours, but he knows the course and has run it before. Aid support was good; Gatorade and water every two miles until 20, then every mile after that. It did warm up a little bit later on and it was sunny the whole time. Sometimes it felt like you were getting warm when the wind was at your back. There are not very many porta-potties on the course, but they were strategically placed at miles 6, 12.5, 18.5, 23. The post-race party was well done. Pasta and pizza and they seemed to do the awards quickly. Probably most of the people got awards because of the small field. Age group awards were paintings/drawings of the Trestle Valley Bridge. The finisher’s medals were different. They are made out of a clay type material with an impression of the bridge. The only thing negative I could say about the race is that it’s been over a week after the race and results have not been posted yet on the web. They did say results would be posted the next day in the Minot Daily News, but some of the runners including myself left Minot after the awards ceremony. Their website information could really use some improvement. There isn't much info on the website about the race. More information about the race details would probably attract more runners. The pre-race packet instructions and course map were excellent. Need to put this kind of info on website and more people will consider running this race. This was a fun unique running experience. The only other marathon I'd compare it with is Yakima. There too I saw a train going through the Yakima Valley. Now for some travel tips. Minot is a small town in the middle of the ND prairie. I do not recommend flying directly to Minot. If you fly into Minot and stay there, there really isn't much to see or do in the immediate surrounding area. Northwest Airlines is the only carrier flying into Minot and they only have 3 flights in and 3 flights out of Minot each day. I recommend flying into Bismarck. I got into and quickly out of the Bismarck airport. Use Enterprise to rent a car in the terminal at the Bismarck airport. I paid $35 for an economy car for the entire weekend with unlimited mileage. There are only two other rental car companies in the Bismarck terminal and they wanted something like $35 a day with only 150 miles per day mileage. Once you leave the Bismarck terminal, it’s a straight shot to Minot - a little over a 100 miles. But I recommend stopping and seeing some of the sites along the way. I stopped at the ND Heritage Center on the grounds of the state capitol. This is a museum of ND history including some fossils of prehistoric creatures. Then I proceeded about 40 miles north of Bismarck to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center/Museum. Included in admission is a tour of a reconstruction of nearby Fort Mandan along the Missouri River. After leaving Lewis and Clark, I headed straight for Minot. Not a thing to do in the Minot area, as I said previously, so after the race I headed 2 1/2 hours west to the badlands of North Dakota. Go to the north unit – it’s less crowded then the south unit. I had to stop my car several times because of all the bison in the road. Had plenty of time to see the badlands as it doesn't get dark until about 9pm this time of year. After leaving the badlands around 8pm, I got back to Bismarck at about 11pm. I got into Bismarck around 12:30 on Friday afternoon. The race was Saturday and my flight left Bismarck at 11:30 on Sunday. Managed to go tour the Bismarck waterfront before my flight, where there is a trail and replica of the Lewis and Clark keelboat. Strongly recommend this race. If you need big crowds, big support and running in an overpriced concrete jungle like NYC, this race is not for you. If you go, the badlands are beautiful, way more beautiful then the chaos of a place like New York.

Excellent organization - volunteers rate a 6 on a scale of 1 to 5. Highly recommend course for experienced runners. Some previous hill training necessary for a good time. Nice age group awards. Very good pasta feast after race. The view of the trestle is fabulous - I was fortunate enough to watch an Amtrak train go over as I approached. Hope more people give the race a try next year.

A well organized race put on by the fine people at the Minot YMCA.The course is tough but the experience was worth it and they did an all around first class job to provide the runners with a good race

Great people, very pleasant to work with. Fine low-key pasta feed, nice door prizes, good sponsorship. Unique locally-produced prizes for overall and age groups. Super-friendly aid station volunteers; no spectators (some may have lined the initial 3-mile loop in town; I started early, so I don't know). The modified out/back course is mainly through beautiful countryside (we had snowfall the night before), but some may grouse about mud in the middle section (it does make it tougher). A few mildly rolling hills with two mood-modifying climbs. Be ready for any weather: the first year hit into the 90's; this year (02) it was mostly 30's with 10-20 mph winds. Particularly if it should rain, that middle third will be a mess, far worse than the challenges we faced on 4/27/02 (that risk is my -only- reason for giving the course a 4). Otherwise, I *enthusiastically* recommend this one.

This marathon is no walk in the park, but for those who seek a challenge, this course will not disappoint. The weather can play a major factor in this race, expect wind and temperatures ranging from 25-90 degrees. The race has some flats where you can wind it out and some decent hills. One of the hills is called 'road kill hill' and is a giant down hill at mile 7 and a rigorous climb at mile 22, guaranteed to get you heart pumping. 10 miles of gravel adds to the charm of this North Dakota marathon. The race highlights the sparten beauty of North Dakota farmland. In 2002 there was 2-3 inches of fresh snow and the gravel road was runnable mud giving it a trail run feel. For 50 state marathoners, this race offers a unique experience accented by the friendliness and supportiveness of the local volunteers.

2001 was the inaugural run for the Trestle Valley Marathon and what a run it was! Starting temperature for the April 28th marathon was already soaring above 83 degrees (and this is North Dakota!). We ran a short lap in town & then headed out on the open road. It was hot, dry & windy but the volunteers along the way were very encouraging & helpful. Some of those volunteers probably had major sun and wind-burn after the race was done. Even without the weather as a factor, the Trestle Valley Marathon is a tough course. It is out & back with some flat, treeless terrain as well as some pretty amazing hills to climb right in the middle. The train trestle that this marathon is named for is a sight to behold, situated high above the bottom of the valley. I even had the opportunity to see the train thunder over the trestle as I was coming back down into the bottom. The final hill to climb definitely lives up to it's legendary name of 'Roadkill Hill'. The blacktop nearly melted a runner's shoes as we 'baby-stepped' up and into strong head-winds and temperatures of over 90 degrees. Not pretty by any stretch of the imagination. The cheering section at the finish line can be seen from a long distance away & gives a tired marathoner some added incentive to finish strong. The course is tough but the organizers & volunteers were very helpful and very friendly. Congratulations on a great 1st marathon!